Properties: Pungent, warm, toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver and Spleen
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Kills parasites
Parasitic infestation accompanied by abdominal pain, water Gu
Suggested Daily Dosage: Used raw as pills or baked and ground into pills and powders, or applied externally.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in deficiency without stasis.
In the UK MHRA Banned and Restricted Herbal Ingredients poison oak is a prescription only medicine internally and limited to a dose of 10% or less in external preparations.
Notes:
Li Shizhen said in the Compendium of Materia Medica: "Thousands of lacquer medicines are mainly used to cure injuries, restore muscles and bones, fill marrow cells, calm the five internal organs, five invasions and six acutes, wind and cold, and spleen... It can expel insects and relieve coughs . Wait for the effect".
Lacquer also has a long history in crafts and industry being used to coat objects to preserve and protect them from water, insects and degradation, as well as being a medium for crafts in itself.
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.